Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is the latest contender for president in 2024, having announced his run last week, but a new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies shows his popularity with California Republicans lags behind former President Donald Trump.
The former president was the preferred choice of 44% of California Republicans likely to vote in next year’s primary, while DeSantis was the preferred choice for 26% of the same population. No other Republican candidates achieved more than 4% support.
This poll is a stark turnaround from just three months ago. In February, the Berkeley IGS Poll found 37% of California Republicans preferred DeSantis while 29% chose Trump.
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The study does note its current poll has a slightly different methodology. While the current May 2023 poll is based on those likely to vote in next year’s primary, previous polls were asked of all registered Republicans.
Trump was the most popular pick among strongly conservative Republicans, men, non-college graduates, and voters aged 50 - 64. By comparison, DeSantis was more popular among moderate Republicans and college graduates.
The poll also found 74% of California Republicans had a favorable opinion of Trump, while 27% of all California voters view the former president favorably.
